House of Luxembourg

The House of Luxembourg was a German dynasty founded in 1247 by Henry V of Luxembourg after splitting from the House of Limburg-Arlon and the Ardennes-Verdun dynasty. In 1308, Count Henry of Luxembourg was elected Holy Roman Emperor as Henry VII of Germany, and in 1310 the House of Luxembourg also took over Bohemia when Henry's son John the Blind seized power from King Henry of Bohemia. The family prospered under John and his son Wenzel, who took on the name "Charles" and was elected Holy Roman Emperor in addition to King of Bohemia. His death in 1378 weakened the family, and Wenceslaus IV of Bohemia's deposition in 1400 caused the decline of the dynasty. In 1410, Sigismund of Hungary, Wenceslaus' half-brother, seized power after Wenceslaus was deposed. His death in 1437 led to the extinction of the senior branch of the dynasty, and the House of Habsburg would take over Luxembourg.